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ritrarre

to portray

verb ree-TRAHR-reh Rare

Origin: From Latin retrahere, 'to draw back'.

Also means

to withdraw

Usage Note

Ritrarre is an irregular verb of the trarre family. It takes avere as its auxiliary: ho ritratto la scena (I portrayed the scene). Its two main senses — to portray/depict (artistic) and to withdraw/pull back — are both current. The reflexive ritrarsi means to step back or recoil. The noun il ritratto (portrait) comes from the same root.

Examples

"Il pittore ha ritratto la donna con grande cura."

Natural Translation

The painter portrayed the woman with great care.

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